Chaos A to Z

Below is a a comprehensive list of Chaos terms and their definitions. If you're unsure of something, then look it up here!

Abaddon the Despoiler: Warmaster of Chaos. Rumoured to be the clone-son of Horus himself, Abaddon is trying to restore the Black Legion to their former glory with the aid of the ruinous powers. Abaddon has launched thirteen Black Crusades against the Imperium to date. So far he has resisted the lure of Daemonhood for some reason known only to himself.

Ahriman: One of the greatest sorcerers of the Thousand Sons. It was he who performed the Rubric spell which reduced the Thousand sons to dust and trapped them within their armour.

Alpha Legion: One of the nine Traitor Legions. Excellent stealth skills and their commanders are tactically brilliant. They enjoy a challenge and have on occasion withheld some of their forces simply to test themselves.

Alpharius: Primarch of the Alpha Legion. Was killed in action against the Ultramarines but his death ultimately was of little consequence as the Alpha Legion won anyway!

Angron: Daemon prince, and Primarch of the World Eaters. He launched the first war for Armageddon that nearly brought the world down.

Autocannon: The autocannon is a weapon usually employed by the Space Marines and feature tank busting capability with a higher rate of fire then the lascannon.

Black Crusade: Abaddon the Despoiler has launched 13 black crusades to date. While he still hasn't reached his goal of bringing the Imperium to its knees, the 13th Black Crusade could be deemed to have been a success as it leaves Abaddon's forces in the perfect position to launch further strikes into the very heart of the Imperium, ultimately even Terra.

Black Legion: One of the nine Traitor Legions, some would say the most important because it was their Primarch, Horus, who first threw the Imperium into turmoil. Now lead by Abaddon the Despoiler, the Black Legion are one of the most feared Traitor Legions of all.

Bolter: These rapid firing weapons that launch mass reactive shells that explode after penetrating organic flesh. These are used by many Imperial organisations, but also by the forces of Chaos.

Boltgun: Also known as Bolter. See Bolter.

Bolt Pistol: A weapon used by Imperial Guard officers, Space Marines, Sisters of Battle and the forces of Chaos, these light weight weapons use the same shells that bolters use and are just as effective.

Chainsword: Close combat weapons that inflict damage due to jagged teeth that are set into a shaft of metal, and operates much like the chain saws of milliennia past.

Chaos: If you don't know what that is then you're in the wrong forum Tongue.

Chaos Space Marine: A genetically engineered fighting force, that are encased in power armour in battle. The Chaos Space Marines are Space Marines turned evil - see "Horus Heresy" for more.

Chaos Undivided: The four Gods of Chaos, worshipped as one, make up a pantheon known as Chaos Undivided. Whilst many Traitors succumb to one God in particular, there are also those who Choose to worship Chaos Undivided.

Chapter: The current organisation of the Adeptus Astartes. Each Chapter us split into 10 companies and each company has 10 squads. This differs slightly from Chapter to Chapter. Chaos Chapters are Space Marine Chapters that have rebelled and, while rare, they do exist.

Combi-Bolter: A bolter combined with another weapon e.g. flamer. Either weapon can be fired but not both at once, and due to a design fault, Chaos Combi-bolters can only fire the non-bolter weapon once.

Cypher: Formally of the Dark Angels Legion, Cypher turned traitor when half of the Legion rebelled, led by Luther, the second in command. The traitors are now scattered throughout space, some seeking redemption whilst others have embraced Chaos fully. As for Cypher, very little is known about what his true motives are...

Daemon: Daemons are the soldiers of Chaos, created by the Gods themselves. They vary in power from mere Nurglings to the mighty Greater Daemons. Outside of the Warp and the Eye of Terror, they can only exist for short periods of time before they become unstable.

Daemon Hunters: See Ordo Malleus.

Daemon Prince: A daemon prince is a daemon that was once a Chaos Space Marine. He has been chosen by one of the four Gods of Chaos to be elevated to daemonhood as a reward for many long years of service to the ruinous powers. A Chaos Marine that achieves this will be one who has already brought worlds to their feet, enslaved thousands of civillians, killed hundreds of soldiers with their own hands.

Daemon Weapons: A daemon weapon is a normal weapon (often decorated ornately) that has, bound within it, the soul of a daemon. Obviously they are often very powerful, but they also carry risks for the wielder...

Daemon World: A world within the Eye of Terror that is ruled by a daemon prince. Typically they are places of madness and horror which turns its inhabitants insane. Lovely.

Death Guard: One of the Traitor Legions. They worship Nurgle as their patron deity. All the members of the legion tend to be able to take a lot of punishment, partially due to that characteristic being present naturally in their geneseed, but partially due to the fact they're all rotten to the core!

Doomrider: A character that appeared in the 3rd edition Chaos codex but hasn't been heard of since. A daemon prince of Slaanesh on a bike.

Emperor's Children: One of the nine Traitor Legions. Their patron God is Slaanesh. They are both sadistic and masochistic enjoying equally their own pain and the pain of others.

Eye of terror: A place at the edge of the galaxy where Warpspace erupts forth into realspace. The traitor legions fled there after the horus heresy failed. Daemons can exist here with little instability.

Fabius Bile: Formerly a member of the Emperor's Children traitor legion. When the rest of his legion began to worship Slaanesh, Fabius Bile distanced himself from his battle brothers. Instead he began "experimenting" on some of the slaves that were taken by the Legion, often creating creatures that were little more than spawn. However he also made many successfull creations that were stronger, tougher etc. These were Bile's "New Men" and are left behind everywhere he goes. Bile experiments still, yearning to make ever more insane and powerfull creations. He even sometimes experiments on Chaos Space Marines...

Fallen Angels: Former members of the Dark Angels legion. During the time of the Great Crusade, half of the legion, under the command of the traitor Luthor, rebelled against their brethren. Ultimately they were defeated although Luthor killed Lion El'Johnson, the Primarch of the legion, before himself slumping on the floor, lifeless. Those who survived still stalk the galaxy, some have sought redemtion for their treachery, but some have embraced Chaos fully and fight alongside the Traitor Legions.

Fulgrim: Daemon Prince, and Primarch of the Emperor's Children traitor legion. The most debased of all the Chaos primarchs, he regularly holds gladiatorial contests to honour Slaanesh, his patron God.

Heavy Bolter: A heavier version of the Bolter that can utilise heavier bolts. See Bolter

Horus: Horus was the original traitor. If it was not for Horus, the Imperium would most likely still be intact, with all twenty legions still serving the Emperor. Horus was arguably the greatest of all the Primarchs when he remained loyal, but there grew within him a seed of hatred for the Emperor who he saw as taking all is glory.

Horus Heresy: Eventually Horus rebelled, and with him not only his own legions, but also eight other Space Marine Legions. The Horus Heresy ripped the Imperium apart, a blow from which it has never fully recovered.

Iron Warriors: Traitor Legion. They excell at siege and have the most heavy weapons and tanks out of all the Traitor Legions.

Khârn the Betrayer: Champion of Khorne. He earned the title "the betrayer" after the World Eaters fought the Emperor's Children on Skalathrax. The World Eaters fought hard, but when night came they sought shelter to prevent themselves from freezing. Khârn got angry so he burnt down all the shelters with a flamer and. Khârn then went totally insane and went into a killing frenzy, killing members of both Legions.

Khorne: The Blood God. Khorne is the embodiment of war, physical destruction and hatred. He craves from his followers ever more skulls to lay at the base of his skull throne.

Krak Missile: These are high strength projectiles which are fired by missile launchers and are used agianst anti-tanks and heavily armoured opponents.

Land Raider: These are the height of armoured defense, an mobile battlefeld command center, troop carrier and battle field tank in one vehicle. Fitted with susponsons sporting twin-linked lascannons and a set of twin-linked heavy bolters, the Land Raider is a formible opponent to face.

Legion: The organsation of the forces of Chaos, larger then the Space Marine Chapters are today.

Lorgar: Primarch of the Word Bearers.

Lost and the Damned: A Chaos army which consists primarily of mutants, traitors and other madness, rather than straightforward Chaos Space Marines.

Lucius the Eternal: Champion of Slaanesh. Lucius can never trully be killed, because whenever his mortal body is cut down, his killer will slowly but painfully be transformed into the new Lucius.

Lunar Wolves: Pre-Heresy name of the Black Legion.

Magnus the Red: Daemon Prince and Primarch of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion. He is a cyclops, having a single eye in the centre of his forehead.

Malal: Chaos power. Malal is the God of disorder and he strives to destroy all four of the other Chaos Gods. Malal no longer appears in any fluff as there was some licencing dispute between GW Definition: Games Workshopand the guy who thought up the concept. (I think...)

Meltabombs: These are small melta technology based weapons which are used to destroy vehicles.

Meltagun: These short range anti-tank weaponry uses concentrated bursts of heat to destroy it's armoured foes. These are smaller then the multi-meltas.

Mortarion: Daemon Prince and Primarch of the Death Guard Traitor Legion. Don't know much more about him, sorry.

Mutant: Many followers of Chaos are gifted with mutations. These vary from a claw or tentacle, to three heads, a beak or a tail. A mutant is also, more specifically, a troop type in the Lost and the Damned army.

Night Haunter: Primarch of the Night Lords Traitor Legion. Was killed by the Imperial assassin M'shen, although I think he actually allowed himself to be killed as an example to prove that the Imperium is just as evil as Chaos... could be wrong there, though.

Night Lords: Traitor Legion. Their tactics are based around using terror and speed to their advantage.

Nurgle: Chaos God of decay and pestilence. Also the only Chaos God to have a sense of humour - he delights in "gifting" his minions with ever more disgusting diseases, to their displeasure.

Ordo Hereticus: The witch Hunters. A force within the Imperium designed specifically to destroy heretics, often Chaos worshippers. Their Fighting force is the Sisters of Battle.

Ordo Malleus: The Daemon Hunters. A force within the Imperium designed specifically to combat the daemons of Chaos. Their fighting force is the Grey Knights.

Perturabo: Daemon Prince and Primarch of the Iron Warriors legion. Don't know much more about him, sorry.

Plasma Gun: A weapon that uses white-hot plasma to kill it's opponents which is a little bigger then a bolter. Sometimes harms the user as the weapon can malfunction in the heat of battle. Larger then the plasma pistol, but smaller then the plasma cannon.

Plasma Pistol: A small hand held weapon that uses white-hot plasma to kill it's opponents. Sometimes harms the user as the weapon can malfunction in the heat of battle. Smaller then the plasma gun.

Power Armour: The standard armour worn by the Chaos Space Marines. It provides excellent protection, far superior to the basic armour of many armies.

Power Weapons: A weapon wielded by Veteran Sergeants and other Space Marine heroes. A monomolecular edeged blade covered in a power field.

Predator: The main Chaos Space Marine Battle tank, can be armed either with a lascannon or an autocannon as its turret weapon. Can be fielded with side susponsons.

Red Corsairs: Formerly the Astral Claws. A Chaos Chapter. Originally designed to guard the Maelstrom and prevent its inhabitants from escaping out into the rest of the galaxy, they ended up being tainted by Chaos possibly due to their proximity to the Maelstrom itself. Their rebellion also triggered some of the other Chapters of the second founding to rebel.

Slaanesh: Chaos God of pleasure and pain. Pleasure refers not only to sexual pleasure, but pleasure of all kinds. Followers of Slaanesh are often gifted very generously with the characteristics they crave - good looks, amazing strength, artistic talent etc.

Sons of Horus: Another pre-Heresy name of the Black Legion.

Spawn of Chaos: The path to daemonhood it a treacherous one for a Chaos worshipper to tread, and if his chosen god thinks he's getting a little too power hungry and ambitious, the unfortunate Chaos worshipper will instead be turned into a spawn. Spawn are completely insane, and devoid of rational thought or even free will.

Tactical Dreadnought Armour: Also known as Terminator armour. See Terminator Armour.

Terminator Armour: These suits of personal armour are very protective and include composite layers of differing materials that not only stop projectiles but also obsorb energy projectiles to some degree. Also known as Tactical Dreadnought Armour.

Thousand Sons: Traitor Legion. The thousand sons worship Tzeench as their patron deity. However whilst you might expect the followers of the God of Change to have mutations sprouting from their ears, they are instead cold, mindless autamatons, transformed into such by Ahriman's infamous Rubric spell.

Traitor Guard: As well as the Chaos Space Marines themselves, which are relatively few in number, the vast majority of the fighting forces of Chaos are made up of the Traitor Guard - Imperial Guardsmen turned to Chaos. A traitor guard army could be represented by a Lost and the Damned army, which will also often contain mutants and Chaos Space Marines, or a normal Imperial guard army.

Traitor Legions: There are nine traitor legions in total: Black Legion, Alpha Legion, Iron Warriors, Night Lords, Word Bearers, World Eaters, Death Guard, Emperor's Children and Thousand sons. These are the nine original Space Marine legions ahat rebelled at the time of the Horus Heresy.

Twin-Bolter: Effectively a twin linked bolter although it is actually one double barrelled weapon based on the bolter.

Typhus: Herald of Nurgle. Typhus was the one who persuaded Mortarion to have the navigators on the ship carrying the Death Guard, killed. This left them stranded in the Warp and gave Nurgle the chance to infest them with his "delightfull" contagions.

Tzeench: Chaos God of Change. Tzeench is the cleverest of the Chaos Gods and has many a hidden plot to overthrow the others. He always yearns for change and evolution.

Undivided: See Chaos Undivided.

Warp: The warp is an alternate universe to our own. It is where the daemons of Chaos spend most of their time, and it can also be used as a form of transport, albeit a very dangerous one.

Witch Hunters: See Ordo Hereticus.

Word Bearers: Traitor Legion. They don't worship a single Chaos God, but instead worship Chaos Undivided as a whole. They are the most "devout" of the Chaos Legions.

World Eaters: Crazy Traitor Legion. The World Eaters worship the Chaos god Khorne, mercilessly taking skulls from their enemies and sometimes even allies for the skull throne.